Greetings from The BHS Speech and Drama Team! Forensics—the formal name given to competitive public speaking and acting—is one of the fastest-growing activities in School District U-46. Bartlett High School’s Speech and Drama Team, one of the most awarded competitive programs at BHS, also happens to be the one of most decorated forensics team in U-46 history. When Bartlett High School opened, the Speech and Drama Team sported less than a dozen participants. The program has since boomed, averaging more than fifty student speakers and actors each season.
Speech consists of 14 different public speaking and acting categories (or “events”). Some require you to write persuasive or expository speeches. Acting events may be comedic or dramatic. Some require you to work with a partner and minimal props. Other events require you to memorize comedic or dramatic scenes with multiple characters—and then play all the parts yourself.
Click below to watch a State Champion’s radio performance.Radio Speaking
Speaking and drama are recognized by the Illinois High School Association—the same organization that oversees Illinois’ athletics programs. Speech has its place right alongside baseball, basketball, wrestling, and the like. Several years ago, Bartlett High School won the very first Upstate-8 Conference Championship for speech in the history of U-46. The team has since won two additional Conference Championships. Moreover, individual competitors continue to earn individual Conference titles, Regional Championships, and Sectional Championships. To date, BHS has eight Regional Champions, seventy Sectional Qualifiers, twelve IHSA State Qualifiers, and five State Finalists in the records books.
So consider auditioning for the BHS Speech and Drama Team. Come see what all the “talk” is about!
THE TIME COMMITMENT: Auditions for the team are held in mid-September. Practices begin in late September. The competitive season runs November through February. Practices take place one-to-two times a week. Tournaments take place on most Saturdays at schools across Illinois. As a team, we ride a bus to each tournament.
Contrary to popular belief, you can be a BHS Speech and Drama competitor and still participate in other BHS activities. BHS Speech and Drama will not turn you away, so long as you agree to be a team player and keep up with your commitments.
After auditioning for the team, you will be placed in a category for competition. You will practice with a coach once a week, sometime between Monday and Thursday. You are required to attend an All-Team Meeting each Friday before a tournament.
PLEASE NOTE: Because competitive Speech and Drama is an IHSA-sanctioned, activity, you will have to pay special fees. (In other words, the Speech and Drama Team is not free to join, nor is it a school club.)
Forensics—the formal name given to competitive public speaking and acting—is one of the fastest-growing activities in School District U-46. Bartlett High School’s Speech and Drama Team, one of the most awarded competitive programs at BHS, also happens to be the one of most decorated forensics team in U-46 history. When Bartlett High School opened, the Speech and Drama Team sported less than a dozen participants. The program has since boomed, averaging more than fifty student speakers and actors each season.
Speech consists of 14 different public speaking and acting categories (or “events”). Some require you to write persuasive or expository speeches. Acting events may be comedic or dramatic. Some require you to work with a partner and minimal props. Other events require you to memorize comedic or dramatic scenes with multiple characters—and then play all the parts yourself.
Extemporaneous SpeakingImpromptu SpeakingInformative SpeakingOratorical DeclamationOriginal OratorySpecial Occasion Speaking
Click below to watch any number of State Champions’ duet acting performances:
Dramatic Duet Acting
Humorous Duet Acting
Speaking and drama are recognized by the Illinois High School Association—the same organization that oversees Illinois’ athletics programs. Speech has its place right alongside baseball, basketball, wrestling, and the like. Several years ago, Bartlett High School won the very first Upstate-8 Conference Championship for speech in the history of U-46. The team has since won two additional Conference Championships. Moreover, individual competitors continue to earn individual Conference titles, Regional Championships, and Sectional Championships. To date, BHS has eight Regional Champions, seventy Sectional Qualifiers, twelve IHSA State Qualifiers, and five State Finalists in the records books.
So consider auditioning for the BHS Speech and Drama Team. Come see what all the “talk” is about!
THE TIME COMMITMENT:
Auditions for the team are held in mid-September. Practices begin in late September. The competitive season runs November through February. Practices take place one-to-two times a week. Tournaments take place on most Saturdays at schools across Illinois. As a team, we ride a bus to each tournament.
Contrary to popular belief, you can be a BHS Speech and Drama competitor and still participate in other BHS activities. BHS Speech and Drama will not turn you away, so long as you agree to be a team player and keep up with your commitments.
After auditioning for the team, you will be placed in a category for competition. You will practice with a coach once a week, sometime between Monday and Thursday. You are required to attend an All-Team Meeting each Friday before a tournament.
PLEASE NOTE: Because competitive Speech and Drama is an IHSA-sanctioned, activity, you will have to pay special fees. (In other words, the Speech and Drama Team is not free to join, nor is it a school club.)